Sun News Digest

SUN NEWS DIGEST

July 15, 2004

NATIONAL

Senate blocks gay marriage ban

President Bush's much heralded constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage was blocked by a bipartisan coalition in the Senate, squelching for the moment a politically volatile measure that is a top priority for him. But Senate conservatives succeeded in putting most Democrats on record as opposing the measure during an election year. [Page 1a]

Sen. Clinton to stay low at DNC

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won't get a prime time speaking role at the Democratic national convention but will join Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland in an appearance showcasing the party's nine women senators on the evening of July 26, the convention's opening day. [Page 3a]

WORLD

Car bomb kills 10 in Iraq

A car bomb killed at least 10 people yesterday in Baghdad, Iraq, at the gates of the Green Zone, shattering the relative sense of calm that had prevailed in the two seeks since Iraq regained sovereignty. The governor of one of Iraq's largest provinces was killed in a separate attack. [Page 11a]

Blair cleared of misleading public

An inquiry by the British government reported that Prime Minister Tony Blair's arguments for going to war in Iraq were based on sloppy intelligence work that was wrongly presented with the weight of fact. The report found no evidence that he nor Britain's spy agency purposely skewed evidence to build support for the war. [Page 10a]

MARYLAND

Agency investigates storm claims

The federal Inspector General's office has begun an investigation of the National Flood Insurance Program's handling of claims from Tropical Storm Isabel after Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski received complaints from Maryland residents. Mikulski said her constituents told her they were offered money to stop complaining, received settlements based on how much they complained and that adjusters might have received incentives to keep claims low. [Page 1b]

Chapman's gifts played down

Debra B. Humphries, a former Maryland pension trustee who carried on a secret three-year romance with Nathan A. Chapman Jr. while he managed money for the retirement system, testified in U.S. District Court that his lavish gifts and $46,000 in cash payments did not buy her vote on the pension board. Humphries' testimony came as prosecutors wrapped up their federal fraud case against Chapman. [Page 1b]

Priority Places program launched

The Ehrlich administration yesterday launched the Priority Places program, its version of the Smart Growth policies promoted by former Gov. Parris N. Glendening. At a ceremony marking the demolition of Parole Plaza in Annapolis to make way for a lifestyle center featuring shops, eateries and homes, state officials said Priority Places will focus on helping developers revitalize blighted communities by providing technical help and streamlining the permitting process. [Page 1b]

SPORTS

5 individual events for Phelps

Michael Phelps of Rodgers Forge ended the suspense about his Olympic schedule, saying he will drop the 200-meter backstroke. He will swim the 100 and 200 butterflies, the 200 and 400 individual medleys and the 200 freestyle. Phelps also will most likely participate in all three relays. [Page 1c]

Heat acquires O'Neal from Lakers

The Lakers and Heat completed a trade that sends 11-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal to Miami, with Los Angeles getting Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick in return. O'Neal, the game's dominant center, won three championships in his eight seasons with the Lakers. [Page 1c]

BUSINESS

Developer takes over retail sites

An Owings Mills developer has stepped in to take over the stalled retail component of Lockwood Place, the Baltimore City Community College project in the Inner Harbor. Three stories of retail space had been about 60 percent leased, but it is unclear which, if any, of those leases would be retained by the new developer. [Page 1d]

Buttons help tailor Web to user

They're multiplying on the Internet like a bad case of measles: little orange buttons - seemingly innocuous and often marked with the letters RSS. The letters stand for really simple syndication and represent a method through which subscribers can automatically gather information from multiple Web sites. Just as TiVo is changing the way some people use television, RSS is helping people manage the gusher of information available on the Internet. [Page 1d]

TODAY

Tarantino, Coppola dating

A publicist for Oscar-winning filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola has confirmed that they are dating. They "enjoy each other's company," said Bumble Ward. Coppola, 33, won for best original screenplay for Lost in Translation. Tarantino, 41, won the screenplay Oscar in 1995 for Pulp Fiction. [Page 2e]

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Am I the only one embarrassed by the fact that this office has not convicted an elected official of corruption since 1988?"

U.S. Attorney Thomas M. DiBiagio, in an e-mail to his staff this month (Article, Page 1A)

MARKETS - DOWN

DOW

-38.79

10,208.80

NASDAQ - DOWN

-16.78

1,914.88

S&P - DOWN

-3.67

1,111.47

SUN INDEX - DOWN

-0.35

264.88

TODAY ONLINE

LIVE!

The online version of our weekly entertainment and events section includes photo galleries, a day trips archive, a meet the band archive and this week's survey.

www.baltimoresun.com/live

THE SECOND HALF

The All-Star break is over and it's back to business for the Orioles and the rest of Major League Baseball. Follow the O's and all the action of the second half of the season.